Spinach + Tomato Grilled Cheese

I am a vegetarian that does not eat near enough vegetables, so my goal this year is to eat more greens! On busy or stressful days like today, I have a habit of eating whatever is most convenient and in closest reach. Without thinking about veggies, I grab a handful of chocolates from a candy dish, a granola bar and some fruit snacks from the vending machine, or a day-old wrap from the delicatessen. I am trying to combat hunger, avoid junk food, and eat more greens by sneaking vegetables into as many meals as possible. One way to do this is by adding avocados, spinach leaves, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and bean sprouts into your sandwich-- and then taking that sandwich to work instead of eating at the delicatessen!

THIS IS WHAT I USE IN MY FAVORITE GRILLED CHEESE:

• Trader Joe's Soft 10-grain Bread (I used Trader Joe's Tuscan Pane for the image above)
• Cheddar cheese (I prefer Trader Joe's Organic Grass-fed New Zeland Cheddar)
• A bunch of fresh spinach
• 1 beefsteak tomato 
• 1 tbsp margarine (or Vegan butter) 

Blueberry Cheddar Dip

Winter really gets me down when the fruits I love are not in season, but I was stoked when I found blueberries on sale this week! I bought a few pints for snacking and the rest were used to make blueberry cheddar dip adapted from Jessica's recipe at How Sweet It Is.

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• 1 8oz brick of cream cheese
• 1 11oz package of fresh blueberries
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium size oven-safe dish, mix softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese and nutmeg. Fold in fresh blueberries. Bake for 30 minutes until blueberries have exploded. Remove from oven, stir gently and serve on a bagel  toast, or as a dip with crackers or pita bread. Refrigerate and reheat in microwave to serve again.

Lemon + Garlic Hummus

Two weeks ago, an old friend of mine visited Philly and I finally coaxed him into writing down his hummus recipe. Since the first time watching him make hummus from memory, I had always wanted to try my hand at it. Finally I had the chance, and above is the result. Hummus is surprisingly easy to make! I like to make mine with lots of lemon and garlic.

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• Canned chickpeas
• 2 or 3 generous tablespoons of Tahini per can of chickpeas
• 1 clove of garlic, minced, per can of chickpeas
• squeezed lemon juice from half of a fresh lemon 
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• salt to taste 
• cumin to taste (optional)

Blend chickpeas in a mixer. The chickpeas have to be thoroughly cooked or if they are canned, soaked in hot water so the skins come off. Add tahini and blend the rest of the ingredients. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top. I also like to sprinkle a little dill weed or paprika. Refrigerate hummus and keep for up to 3 days. Some serving suggestions include pita bread or pita chips. This time I chose to serve mine with Trader Joe's Flaxseed Veggie Chips. If you are a garlic lover, these chips are for you! :)